Ex-Prince Andrew Was Arrested Upon Turning 66 in Same Home Where Queen Elizabeth Spent Final Birthday Before Her Death
Ex-Prince Andrew Was Arrested Upon Turning 66 in Same Home Where Queen Elizabeth Spent Final Birthday Before Her Death
Simon Perry, Sam GilletteThu, February 19, 2026 at 8:38 PM UTC
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Former Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth in 2018; Marsh Farm on Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty
Former Prince Andrew was arrested on Feb. 19 at Wood Farm, located on the royal family's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England
In 2022, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her last birthday there
“Four years later, it’s been raided by the police. It beggars belief," author Robert Jobson tells PEOPLE
On the day that the former Prince Andrew turned 66, he was arrested by police at the same estate where his mother, Queen Elizabeth, celebrated her last birthday.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, at 8:00 a.m. local time, the former Duke of York, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office at Wood Farm, located in the royal family’s Sandringham Estate, the BBC reported. About 11 hours later, the former royal was released from police custody.
Police guards were seen stationed at the entrance of Wood Farm, the home where Andrew recently moved. When King Charles stripped his brother of his royal titles in October, it was also announced that Andrew would be forced to surrender the lease on his longtime home, Royal Lodge in Windsor. He was temporarily staying at Wood Farm while Marsh Farm, also on the Sandringham estate and set to be his permanent residence, is being renovated.
“This is the place – Wood Farm – where the Queen spent her last birthday in April 2022,” Robert Jobson, the author of The Windsor Legacy, tells PEOPLE. “Four years later, it’s been raided by the police. It beggars belief.”
The residence in Norfolk, England, was a favorite of her late husband, Prince Philip.
The author emphasizes that the alleged misconduct would have taken place while Andrew still held a royal title — and wouldn’t have come to light if the U.S. Department of Justice hadn’t released a swath of files from the ongoing Epstein investigation in January.
Authorities are investigating the former prince in light of an allegation claiming that he shared confidential information with the late Jeffrey Epstein while acting as a trade envoy for the U.K. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
The arrest comes after Andrew’s ties with Epstein, the convicted sex offender, resulted in numerous scandals, culminating in King Charles revoking his brother’s titles and honors in October 2025. Following that historic decision, Andrew was evicted from Royal Lodge, a mansion in Windsor, Berkshire, where he lived for years, on Feb. 2. The BBC reported that the Royal Lodge is the only residence in Berkshire that was being searched on the day of his arrest.
Former Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth in 2013.
LEON NEAL/AFP via Getty
“What happened since then? Nothing happened for 16 years,” says the author of the time that’s passed since Andrew last held the position of trade envoy. “This has happened today because the Department of Justice released a tranche of emails. If they hadn’t been released, he would still be in the same position, which is quite shocking.”
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Originally purchased by Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, in 1862, Sandringham has been a cherished private residence for the royal family for generations. It is where the royals traditionally gather for Christmas.
Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99, spent much of his time there. The year after his death, Queen Elizabeth traveled there for her 96th birthday.
Sandringham House in Norfolk, England.
Radcliffe/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
"She doesn't have to be monarch there," a former staffer previously told PEOPLE of the Queen’s affinity for Sandringham. "She can be Elizabeth rather than the Queen."
Before her death in September 2022, the monarch would routinely stay at the estate from late December until after Feb. 6, the anniversary of the day her father, King George VI, died and she became monarch.
Following her son’s arrest, the estate has become the center of another historical moment for the monarchy — one that has left the country reeling.
“It is an absolutely extraordinary series of events that police are not only on a royal residence but have taken the decision to arrest the King’s brother,” Russell Myers, author of William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, tells PEOPLE.
Men near an unmarked car at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England on Feb. 19.
Peter Nicholls/Getty
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“That tells you all you about the seriousness of the situation,” he continues. “After the unprecedented statement where the King said he was profoundly concerned, this has reached another level with him stating that the 'law must take its course.' ”
The author concludes, "This is a gravely serious situation not only for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor but the monarchy at large."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
